This invention relates to an electrical connector of the type which utilizes a clamp screw to move a clamp inside a cage in order to force the clamp toward a contact surface defined by the cage to terminate a wire.
French Patent Document 2 520 561 describes one electrical connector of the general type set out above. In this connector a sheet metal cage defines a pair of parallel guide slots which receive circular bosses formed on a clamp. The clamp defines a threaded bore that receives a screw, and this screw is captured in the sheet metal cage such that it is free to rotate but is restrained from axially outward movement. The cage defines a wire receiving area and a contact surface on an inside wall of the cage opposite the clamp. By rotating the screw the clamp can be moved away from the contact surface in order to allow a wire to be inserted into the wire receiving area. The screw can then be rotated to urge the clamp against the wire, thereby immobilizing the wire between the clamp and the contact surface.
The present invention is directed to improvements to electrical connectors of the type described initially above, which strengthen the cage against distortion, simplify assembly, and reduce the tendency of the clamp to shift or rotate undesirably when subjected to an eccentric load.